Breaking Free
by Pink Flamingos Are Tacky
Summary: Usagi has been betrothed to Endymion since her birth. When she meets Prince Demando, she thinks that she may have feelings for him. Meanwhile, Mamoru finds out about these feelings and is determined to keep Usagi as his. Will Usagi break free from Mamoru
1. Before We Begin

Before we begin, I have a few things that I'd like to say  
  
I do not own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of other people I don't know own it. I do own the plot of my story I am not responsible for how this comes up in your browser, whether it comes up as one big messy blob, or into nice, neat paragraphs, like I typed it. Yes, this is the third and final time I have reposted this since June of 2002. Fanfiction.net has been giving me major headaches just trying to get this up. And five, please find it somewhere in your heart to review. This is my first all Sailor Moon story that I have written. (I wrote a Sailor Moon/Harry Potter crossover, and a trilogy). This one will have no sequel. 


	2. Betrothed to the Prince of Earth

Chapter One: Betrothed to the prince of Earth  
  
Queen Serenity looked down at her six month old daughter, who happily looked up at her and wrapped her tiny fingers around her one of her mother's long silver pigtails. King Amadeus walked up behind his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He put one of his fingers inside her other tiny hand and her hand closed around it. Queen Serenity disentangled her hair from the baby's hand and laid her daughter in the white cradle and watched her fall asleep. Two hours later, King Jeremiah, Queen Lucinda, and their son, Prince Endymion from Earth came to the baby's christening. The adults talked quietly while Queen Serenity held her daughter and three year old Endymion stood next to his mother. ".It's settled then," said King Amadeus. "When Serenity turns seventeen, and Endymion is twenty, they will be married, uniting both the Earth and Moon Kingdoms." Sixteen years later, on a warm, sunny June afternoon, Princess Serenity, or Usagi as she liked to be called sat out in the royal gardens, picking flowers to arrange and put in her room. She looked up and saw Princess Ami, of Mercury and her best friend coming toward her. "Hi Usagi!" she called. Usagi waved and looked toward the bustling town outside the castle gates. It was a Monday, and most people were out shopping or doing laundry. Ami sat down next to Usagi and began picking flowers as well. Ami looked up after a few minutes and saw her friend gazing out toward the market. "Don't think of going out there," she scolded. "Remember what happened the last time?" "Ami-chan?" asked Usagi, giving Ami her pleading face. "No. I kept your secret last time, and I promised that that would be the last time." "Please? You know that I like to see what my people are doing." "No. You just like to look outside your betrothal and look for hot guys. So, you're taking me with, girl!" exclaimed Ami, giving Usagi a mischievous grin. Both girls went to Usagi's room, abandoning the flowers and dug through the trunk underneath Usagi's bed. They each pulled out a long skirt and a peasant blouse and put them on. Usagi added a tattered apron that she had snatched from the servants' quarters and took down her two odangoes. She put all of her hair into a messy bun and pulled out two cloaks, one for herself and one for Ami to hide their faces. She opened her window, like so many times before and both girls climbed down the white trellis that stood outside Usagi's window. They climbed over the unguarded part of the wall and emerged out of the forest that surrounded one side of the Moon Palace. Usagi grabbed her coin purse and gave Ami a handful of coins, keeping some for herself. She looked down into the palm of her hand and began mentally counting out how much change she had. She wasn't watching where she was going and crashed into a tall man with shoulder length white hair and a white shirt and pants on with a purple cape pinned to the shoulders. Usagi fell backward and finally looked up. Her hood fell to her shoulders as she hastily gathered up the coins. The man bent down and picked up some of the coins, then stood up at the same time as her and looked into her deep blue eyes. He pressed the coins into her hand and then turned around and walked off. Ami rushed forward. "Are you all right?" she asked Usagi. "I'm fine," breathed Usagi. "Do you know who that was?" "No, why?" "It was Prince Demando, from Nemesis. I'd recognize him anywhere. He's a major enemy of Prince Endymion." "He's cute," commented Usagi. Ami shook her friend. "Hello? Usagi? You're betrothed to Endymion." "I know, but that doesn't mean that I can't look at guys," she said. "Do you think he recognized me?" she asked, coming to her senses. "I don't know. He stared at you an awful long time." "We'd better not stay too much longer." "You're right," said Ami, looking at the guards meeting and talking quietly. "They've discovered that we're gone. Let's get back, fast!" exclaimed Usagi, dashing toward the forest. They leapt over the back wall and climbed the trellis again and quickly discarded their peasant clothing. The doorknob turned and Queen Serenity walked in. "Usagi, thank goodness you're here. Where were you two?" she asked. "Um.we were in the cellar, looking for my old dresses. Ami-chan wanted to see them and compare them to hers, since we don't remember them." "Serenity, darling, you know that the only dress that I saved of yours is your christening gown. I didn't save any after we lost your father, because they brought back too many memories," she said sadly. "I forgot," said Usagi sheepishly, grinning. Serenity stepped forward and hugged her daughter. As she pulled away, she whispered, "Don't forget, Endymion wants to have dinner with you tonight. He'll pick you up at seven." "I know," she said, turning to Ami. "Ami-chan, I hate to kick you out, but Endymion wants to have dinner with me tonight." She rolled her eyes. "And I have to get ready." "That's fine. You have fun, you two lovebirds," she said, leaving the room. Usagi sighed and sat down in front of the mirror, realizing that her mother probably knew full well where she had been, judging on the sight of her hair. Serenity sat down on the bed and watched her daughter brush out her long blonde hair. "I wish that you wouldn't lie to me, Usagi." "I'm sorry, Mother. I thought that you wouldn't like it if you knew where I had really been." "Over the wall and into the market. I know. I used to do it when I was your age. I did the same thing with my hair." "How did you know though, besides my appearance?" "Prince Demando of Nemesis stopped by here, warning me that you were out there. He's a really nice fellow, said that he crashed into you in the street and sent your coins flying. He seemed quite taken with you." "That's what Ami said. Too bad for him that I'm betrothed." Serenity got up and pulled out a pink strapless dress for Usagi to wear for that night. She helped her daughter put up her hair and put matching pink bows in the odangoes. Usagi slipped into a pair of pink shoes, grabbed a pink shawl to put around her shoulders and hurried down the stairs to the entryway to meet Endymion, or Mamoru as she called him. He leaned down and kissed her as they met. "Hello, beautiful," he said. She blushed and looked down. He gently took her arm and led her out, stopping to ask Queen Serenity what time she wanted her back. "Before midnight," said Serenity. He escorted her to his car and they went to the restaurant. Usagi was quiet all through the dinner, and though Mamoru tried, he couldn't get her to say anything. Her thoughts were lost on the handsome prince from Nemesis. After a two-hour dinner, Endymion escorted her back to the palace after a very uneventful date. He leaned down to kiss her once more, but she had already turned away and was walking up the stairs to her room. She flopped down on her bed and thought about how she had crashed into him, and he'd recognized her, even through her peasant disguise. She decided, before going to sleep that the next time that her mother held a ball, which would be at the end of the month for her seventeenth birthday, she would talk to the prince from Nemesis and ask him how he knew it was her. 


	3. The Ball

Chapter Two: The Ball  
  
For the next two days until the ball, Usagi wandered around the palace with her head in the clouds. The princesses from the other nine surrounding planets came to try and get Usagi's mind off of the handsome stranger that she saw in the streets. "How could you be in love with him, Usagi-baka?" asked Princess Rei, of Mars while they were having tea. "You don't even know his name." "At least it's not a peasant that she's in love with," pointed out Ami. "It's not?" asked Princess Minako, of Venus. "No. He's from Nemesis," said Ami. "Well that's even worse," said Princess Haruka, growing defensive for Mamoru. "You're betrothed to Mamoru. His enemy is Demando!" "Demando?" asked Usagi dazed. "Who's Demando?" "The prince from Nemesis, duh!" said Haruka, shaking her head. "Oh," Usagi continued in her dazed voice. "That's his name?" The other princesses looked at each other and no one answered that question. "So," said Minako in a cheery voice, "What is everyone wearing to tomorrow's ball?" she asked, bringing up her favorite topic, fashion. "I'm wearing what I usually wear," said Ami. "A light blue, ankle length dress with puffy short sleeves." "How boring," commented Minako. "I'm wearing a spaghetti strapped floor length dress that's orange and has sparkles all over the dress. I'm also putting some sparkles in my hair to match. "That's awesome!" said Michiru. "Mine's aqua, as usual, with short puffy sleeves and it kind of resembles Usagi's normal dress, only aqua. "I'm not coming," said Setsuna quietly. "What?" asked Usagi, speaking for the first time in a while. "I'm not coming. I can't. My parents are forbidding me, since I know what's going to happen, they think that it's pointless to go." "Mama," said Hotaru, hurrying over and hugging Setsuna. Hotaru was two years older than when she had last visited, a week ago. "Did she just refer to you as her mother?" asked Rei. "Yes. Her father was killed in an explosion on Pluto. She's also Sailor Saturn, the soldier of destruction. She's one of us, so I adopted her. My parents aren't happy, as I'm just nineteen and I already have a child, but I don't mind. Hotaru is my pride and joy," she said beaming. "Mama, why can't we go to the ball?" six-year-old Hotaru asked. "Because, sweetie. Grandma and Grandpa want us to stay home. We're going to play dollies instead." "I want to get all dressed up in a frilly dress and come to the ball," Hotaru insisted. The rest of the princesses laughed at the young girl trying to order her mother about. A servant knocked on the door and curtsied. "Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion is here." Usagi rolled her eyes and said with her back to the servant, "Send him in." "What was that for?" asked Makoto. "He's too overprotective of me. Mother told him that Ami-chan and I had gone into the market and now he's come every day since, trying to get our wedding date moved to sooner." Mamoru walked in, carrying flowers. "Here," he said, gently placing then in Usagi's lap. "Thank you," she said quietly. Mamoru scooted her over and sat next to her on the couch, putting an arm around her shoulder. Usagi made no move to move away from him. She handed the flowers to a servant who hurried away to arrange them into a vase. "Mamoru, are you coming to the ball tomorrow night?" asked Michiru. "Why would I miss it?" he asked, smiling at Usagi. She gave him a slight smile in return and went back to staring out the window. The next night, Usagi sat in her room, dressing for the ball. She put on a strapless long white gown that resembled her usual dress, without the sleeves. (AN: They don't know about Neo-Queen Serenity yet, so her dress can't resemble hers, can it now?) She redid her hair, replacing it in the royal odangoes and placed a golden crown between the odangoes. She slipped into a pair of glass shoes and as a last thought pulled two strands of hair from her odangoes and let them sit on her shoulders. The white moon symbol glowed brightly on her forehead for a moment and then returned to its normal golden color. Hmm, thought Serenity. I wonder what that was all about? She shrugged it off and continued down the stairs. She reached the French double doors leading to the ballroom and paused, waiting for her introduction. "Her royal highness," boomed a voice. "Princess Serenity." She pushed open the doors and entered, walking down the stairs into the room. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and allowed Endymion to take her hand and help her off of the last stair and through the parted crowd. He helped her up the two stairs that led to the line of royal chairs and helped her into the one in the center, bedecked in white and gold fabric. She sat down and watched her people happily continue their dancing. The princesses from Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter each brought forward a gift and curtsied to their princess. "Serenity," began Ami, using her royal name. "Happy Birthday!" Usagi stood regally from the chair and was swept into a group hug by her four friends. Endymion bowed to Serenity and asked, "May I have this dance?" She nodded silently and allowed herself to be led to the dance floor. The crowd cleared, leaving the floor open for the prince and princess to have their one dance. Demando stood in a corner and watched them dance. Something is on her mind, he thought, looking at her troubled expression and watching her look around. She's looking for something too. Usagi looked around and not seeing whom she wanted, and being only five foot nine, reluctantly laid her head on Endymion's chest, letting him lead the remainder of the dance. He leaned down and whispered, "After tonight, we begin the wedding preparations. And then, you're all mine!" he said, giving her a cocky grin. She smiled in return and said, "There are a few people that I know won't be on the guest list, but I'd like to invite them anyway." The song ended and Endymion swept into a bow, "Your wish is my command, Majesty." He led her to the doors adjoining the courtyard and went outside with her. "I love you, you do know that, right?" he asked. "How could I forget?" He leaned down and kissed her. He pulled away, noticing that she hadn't moved from her other position. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I'm not feeling well," she lied. "Then let's go back inside. Maybe some punch will make you feel better." "Maybe." They went back inside the palace and once again, Usagi looked for someone. Mamoru left her in the care of the other princesses, and went to get some punch for the two of them. "I know who you're looking for," said Ami. "He's right there," she pointed to a corner of the room. "I don't see him," said Usagi. "Who me?" asked a voice from behind them. Usagi turned around and her face broke into a huge smile when she saw Demando behind her. "May I have this dance?" he asked. "Of course," she beamed. She knew that Mamoru was watching, so she triumphantly kept her head up high. "We never were properly introduced the other day, Princess," he said. "I am Prince Demando. I'm from Nemesis." "My mother told me. I really appreciate that you came back here to warn my mother." "It was nothing. I am hoping that somehow, when you become queen, that we can find a way to unite the Moon and Earth Kingdoms with Nemesis, as allies." "It would be an honor. Convincing Endymion is a different story," she grinned. The song ended and Demando brought her back to Endymion. "Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of dancing with your princess," he bowed. "You're very welcome," said Mamoru, handing Usagi a glass of punch. "She's an absolute doll, isn't she?" "Yes," replied Demando, pressing something into Usagi's hand. "An absolute doll." He walked away. She hid the piece of paper that Demando had pressed into her hand in the bust of her dress so that Mamoru wouldn't see it and she could look at it later. "Hello, Usagi, darling," said a woman's voice, pressing Usagi against her chest in what was supposed to be a hug. It was Queen Lucinda, accompanied by King Jeremiah coming to wish Usagi a happy birthday. "Happy birthday, future daughter in law," said Jeremiah. "Dad," hissed Mamoru. "Stop." "Oh yeah. I forgot. It's too embarrassing to be seen with your old parents anymore. Come along, Lucinda, we have to say hello to Serenity as well." Usagi rolled her eyes. They always referred to her as either Usagi or Mini Serenity, and her mother as Serenity. She was glad that they had used her nickname this time. "Come on," said Rei, pulling Usagi's hand. "Makoto, grab the presents and go." The four princesses pulled Usagi up to her room and shut the door. "Okay," commanded the Princess of Love. "Note first, presents and cake later. Read it, Usagi." "What note?" "The one that Demando gave you, duh!" "Oh, that note." Usagi pulled out the piece of paper. Meet me in the market tomorrow at noon. Come alone; bring one Sailor Senshi for protection if absolutely necessary. "Sailor Senshi?" asked Usagi. "We were going to tell you, Usagi. We four are Sailor Senshi, your guardians. If anything goes wrong for any reason at all, we must protect you. That's what he means," said Ami. "Oh. Well, I'm going by myself. I'm going to sneak out again. Minako, I need you to pose as me." "All right, Usagi-chan," said Minako, giving her a thumbs up. "Come over around eleven. Just say that you left when I go, okay?" "Sure." "Can we open presents now?" asked Michiru, poking her head in the door. She came in with Haruka following her. "Sure!" Usagi tore open Ami's present. "Awesome! A new computer game with the senshi in it! Thanks Ami-chan!" she said, hugging her. "I programmed it myself," said Ami. She tore open Rei's present next. "A new red vase to match my room! Cool!" She got up and took the flowers that Mamoru had given her yesterday out of the clear vase they were in. She put fresh water in Rei's vase and put the flowers back in her new one. "It reminded me of the roses that Mamo-chan always gives you. It matches too," said Rei. Then came Makoto's present. "A cookbook so I can cook like Makoto!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, like that will ever happen," said Haruka. "Haruka!" exclaimed Michiru. She elbowed her. "This is awesome Mako-chan! Now I can try and cook like you do!" "Yep! I expect you to cater for my birthday," laughed Makoto. Minako handed Usagi her gift and Usagi eagerly opened it. It was a new gown, in Usagi's favorite color, pink. It had spaghetti straps that crisscrossed across her otherwise bare back. It fell to her ankles, and Usagi dug deeper in the box to find a pair of sandals with three-inch heels that had thin straps the same color as her dress. She picked up the dress and held it up to herself. "Minako-chan! I love it!" she shrieked with joy, looking in the mirror. Minako pushed Usagi into the bathroom and said, "Try it on! Hurry!" Usagi came out five minutes later with her odangoes let down. Her hair fell past her thighs and covered the back of her dress. "Sit," commanded Minako, and Usagi sat on a cushioned stool and allowed Minako to brush her hair into a bun, leaving parts of her hair out. Minako curled the hair that was left out of the bun and wrapped it around the outside of the bun. She left Usagi's touch on the hairdo, the two strands of hair hanging at the sides. Usagi slid her feet into the sandals and adjusted the straps. She wobbled a little at first as she tried walking, but adjusted to being up to high and sat down as Haruka handed her another gift. "This one is from Michiru and I," she said. Usagi opened the rather large box and took out the contents, one at a time. There were nine dolls inside, one of each Sailor Senshi. "Michiru picked them out," grumbled Haruka. "I told her that you'd prefer a racing bike, but she insisted." "I love them!" she said, taking them all out and setting them on an empty shelf. "I saw them on Neptune. That's where they were first brought out. I don't think that you can get them here yet. They didn't have a Sailor Moon one for some odd reason." "Maybe because there isn't one?" asked Ami. "Why wouldn't there be, though?" asked Makoto. "There should be, but maybe we have to find her," pointed out Rei. "What about me? What if I'm the missing senshi?" asked Usagi. "That's impossible. You're destined to be the ruler of the Silver Millennium, the whole galaxy. You can't be a senshi too," protested Haruka. "That reminds me, Haruka," began Michiru. "Usagi, this is from your mother. She wanted me to give it to you," Michiru pressed a small box into the princess's hands. Usagi opened it and saw a pink and gold brooch sitting on a pink cushion, with the Imperium Crystal nestled in the middle of the brooch. "You are a senshi, Usagi," said Michiru. "Sailor Moon, our leader." "Usagi-baka? Our leader?" laughed Rei. "It's true," said Haruka. Usagi said the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" She transformed into a Sailor Senshi with a blue skirt, two red bows, and a tiara to match. "Ha! Rei!" laughed Usagi triumphantly. "I can fight for myself, thank you very much." Rei mumbled something that sounded like, "She always gets everything." Usagi hugged everyone and thanked them, then de-transformed and dashed for the ballroom. She ran right into Mamoru on her way there, and wobbled and fell to the ground. "Usako!" he exclaimed, helping her up. "I was just coming to look for you. It's the final dance, and we're supposed to have it. Shouldn't you have on something a little more appropriate?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "No. This is fine," she insisted. "Minako gave it to me for my birthday." "Okay. Come on." They made it to the dance floor and the crowd drew in their breath at the sight of the beautiful princess. Her hair was done perfectly and her cheeks were slightly flushed from the run to the ballroom. She looked wonderful. After the dance had finished, Queen Serenity thanked everyone for coming and walked right over to her daughter. "Usagi! What are you wearing?" she demanded. "Minako gave me the dress and shoes for my birthday. I wanted to wear them. I love the outfit!" she grinned. "I do too. Minako has great taste, but don't you think that it was inappropriate for the ball, and especially your seventeenth birthday?" "Mother, it was my last birthday as an unmarried princess. I wanted to make it special," protested Usagi. "You're right," agreed Serenity, hugging her daughter. "Now hurry up. It's late, and you've had a long day. Get to bed," she commanded her daughter. Usagi gave her mother one last hug and ran back up the stairs to her room. 


	4. Meeting Demando

Chapter Three: Meeting Demando  
  
The next day, Minako came over to the palace and changed places with Usagi. Usagi helped Minako put her hair up like Usagi's, and picked out a dress for her to wear. Usagi changed into her peasant outfit and put her hair into one messy bun.  
  
"Good luck," said Minako as Usagi climbed out the window and down the trellis. Usagi expertly hopped over the wall and entered the forest. She came to the end of the rugged path and found herself in the marketplace. She looked for a tall man with white hair and a completely white outfit. She walked down one of the streets, ignoring the shopkeepers calling out what they had to sell until someone clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her into an alleyway. The hood of the cloak slid off of her head and onto her shoulders.  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" asked a voice. Usagi lifted her head and gasped with shock. It was Jaedite. "The princess of the White Moon, out for a stroll. How convenient. Thank you so much, Serenity. You saved me the trouble of looking for you."  
  
"Who-Who are you?" she asked, playing dumb.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, Serenity. You know exactly who I am."  
  
"Serenity? Who's Serenity?" she asked.  
  
Demando rushed up and down the street, looking for a mop of blonde hair. "Where is she? She had to have gotten out. She's got Minako as her look alike." He heard a scream coming from an alleyway and rushed to find out whose scream it was. He saw a blonde man pinning a small girl to the sidewall of a building. He lunged at the man and sent him flying backward. Demando stood up and looked down into the girl's eyes. His eyes widened when he saw who it was.  
  
"Usagi, come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her toward a small café. "Two please," he told the waitress. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of Usagi, and the well-dressed man that she was with, but led them to a table. "Get back to the palace, and disguise yourself as Minako. She nodded and raced around to the side of the building.  
  
She whipped out her disguise pen and shouted, "Disguise Power, turn me into an exact duplicate of Minako!"  
  
She stood a minute later in an ankle length orange dress, her hair falling past her waist, partially tied up with a red bow, and orange sandals with a very thin heel.  
  
She calmly walked back to the table and sat down across from Demando. "Disguise Power is fun," she grinned.  
  
"You are so lazy," he laughed.  
  
"Why did you want to meet me here?"  
  
"I just wanted to be able to talk to you."  
  
A few minutes later, the palace guards of the White Moon ran up to Usagi.  
  
"Princess Venus," began the leader. "Have you seen Princess Serenity? She is nowhere to be found."  
  
"Darn you, Minako," muttered Usagi. To the guards she said, "Yes, I have seen her. When I left the palace an hour ago, she was in her room."  
  
"Okay. Thank you, Miss."  
  
They ran off in search of the "missing" princess.  
  
"Close shave," muttered Demando.  
  
"Yeah," blushed Usagi.  
  
"Usagi, I just wanted to know. When is your and Mamoru's wedding?"  
  
"We're not sure yet. If I have my way, there won't be a wedding at all. Sure, he looks kind and passionate about our romance when we're in public, but when we're alone, he's awful. He hits me when he's mad, and I know that when our parents arranged this marriage, he didn't have this in mind, but I have a feeling that he's using this marriage to get to my kingdom. It's supposed to unite us, but it's not going to. His father is the same way, an overly possessive ruler who wants everything to himself. I've seen the way he treats Lucinda, and it's the same way that Mamoru treats me."  
  
"Usagi," Demando began. "I think I'm in love with you, but I can't explain it. From the first day that I met you, ten years ago, I've been in love with you. My brother, Saffiru, says to just forget about it, because your mother would never let us be together, with me being from Nemesis and all. Usagi, I think that I love you."  
  
"Demando," she began quietly. "I can't abandon Mamoru. There's no way. He's entirely possessive, and would kill the both of us if we were together. Truthfully, there's nothing that I want more in the world than for us to be together."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. Oh no!" she gasped, jumping up. "I have to go. Minako needs me back."  
  
"All right. Come at the same time tomorrow then," he said.  
  
"I will."  
  
Demando leaned down and their lips met, first just barely touching, and then in a passionate kiss. Usagi pulled away first, and nodding to Demando, ran off, her cheeks flushed from the kiss.  
  
Usagi shook off her disguise and climbed back over the wall, climbed back up the trellis, and into her room, where Minako sat, brushing out her hair.  
  
"Welcome back. What happened?" she asked, turning around.  
  
Usagi flopped down on the bed. "Minako, I…I can't see him anymore."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because. I'm betrothed. I kissed him, Minako."  
  
"Good. You need someone else to love besides the possessive jerk. You deserve better than someone who verbally abuses you and hits you."  
  
"I know, but still."  
  
"Usagi. You are going to stand up to your mother, and to Mamoru. You are going to call off the wedding!" 


	5. Mamoru's True Side

Chapter Four: Mamoru's True Side  
  
"Really, Minako-chan?" asked Usagi, uncertainly.  
  
"Yes! We all know how horrible Mamoru treats you. Come on. We're going to find your mom."  
  
Minako grabbed Usagi's arm and led her to Queen Serenity's bedroom, where they could hear light music playing.  
  
"Minako-chan, she's trying to sleep. She always plays that music when she's trying to sleep."  
  
"Ah, Usako, there you are," came a voice from behind them. Usagi made a face at Minako and turned around to face Mamoru.  
  
"Hello, Mamoru," she said coldly.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Usagi, come with me for a second."  
  
"Why?" she asked, crossing her arms.  
  
He grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall and into an empty room. He shut the door and turned on her.  
  
"When I tell you to come with me, you do it, get it?" he yelled, grabbing both of her arms and slamming her against the wall, her head falling back and hitting a picture on the wall. Minako heard this and pulled out her henshin pen.  
  
"Something's wrong," she said to herself. "Venus Star Power!" She transformed just as Queen Serenity dashed out of her room.  
  
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"I think it was Mamoru. I heard something slammed against the wall, and Usagi's been telling us lately that he's been verbally abusing her and slamming her against walls when they're alone," she said. She ran to the door and turned the knob. It wouldn't budge. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury ran up the stairs.  
  
"Is Usagi okay?" asked Sailor Mercury. "We were just getting here and we heard the thud.  
  
On the other side of the wall, Usagi slumped down, knocked unconscious from the blow to her head. Mamoru heard the scouts talking outside and looked to the closet, and then to the window. He went to the window, and saw the trellis along the side of the palace. He opened the window and climbed halfway down, reaching up to close the window and finish climbing. He saw the door into the kitchen and went back in and ran up the stairs just as Sailor Venus released her attack.  
  
"Venus Love Me Chain Encircle!" cried Sailor Venus, breaking down the door with her attack.  
  
The three senshi searched the room and found Usagi, slumped unconscious on the floor against the wall.  
  
"I wish Makoto was here," muttered Rei, trying to lift the princess. She hoisted her onto her back and walked up the staircase to Usagi's room. She gently laid her on the bed and stepped back to comfort a worried Queen Serenity.  
  
"Call a doctor," said the Queen.  
  
"There's one here," said Minako.  
  
"I mean a real doctor."  
  
Ami had de-transformed and grabbed her medical stuff. She was checking on Usagi. After a few minutes, she stood up. "She was hit badly on the head when she was slammed into a wall or something. I seriously doubt that she will remember the incident, which means that we can't find out who did it. What we do know, is that whoever did it escaped, and it couldn't have been through the door, because we were there, so it had to have been out the window."  
  
"It couldn't have been. The window was closed," protested Queen Serenity.  
  
"It wasn't locked. Someone pulled it shut," said Ami.  
  
"My guess is on Mamoru," said Rei.  
  
"Mine too," agreed Minako.  
  
"He wouldn't do that," protested Serenity. "He's too kind."  
  
"That's only in public," said Ami.  
  
"We'll never know now though," said Rei.  
  
"Unless…" muttered Minako.  
  
"What?" asked Ami.  
  
"Usagi and I traded places yesterday. She went out to the market and I stayed here as her. She met Demando. If she talked to Demando about Mamoru, Demando would be able to tell us what she said, and we could compare it to what she's told us," said Minako.  
  
"That might work," said Rei.  
  
"I don't trust Demando. He's an enemy of the Earth," said Serenity.  
  
"But not of the Moon," protested Ami.  
  
"I'm not having this conversation with a bunch of teenagers who don't know what they're doing. I'm leaving. Tell me when she wakes up, or better yet, I'll have Mamoru come in here and watch her," said Serenity, leaving the room.  
  
Makoto ran through the door after Serenity left. "Mamoru's coming. I heard him talking to himself about how wonderful it will be when he and Usagi are married and he has complete control of the Moon Kingdom, with a beautiful queen beside him." She picked up Usagi, "Come on," she said, and began to climb down the trellis. "We'll see if Demando can have her stay with him until she wakes up."  
  
"I'm writing a note "from her." My handwriting is identical to hers," said Minako.  
  
Ami picked up the finished note and read what Minako had written. "Dear Mother and Mamoru,  
  
Until you call off the wedding and betrothal, I won't be coming back. I don't agree with this marriage, even though it isn't my place to say so. Mamoru has been beating me and verbally abusing me. The senshi are living proof. I told them before he knocked me unconscious. I don't care if I have to rule the moon during a time of war between the earth and moon. I am confident in my ability to rule my kingdom, even without a husband.  
  
Once again, I am refusing to return until the wedding is called off.  
  
Love always,  
  
Usagi"  
  
"Nice, Minako," complemented Rei.  
  
"Thanks. Now let's get out of here!"  
  
The three remaining girls climbed out Usagi's window and hastily ran across the castle grounds until they reached a carriage with the symbol of Venus on it.  
  
"This is how I got here. We can take her back to my place, and call Demando from there," said Minako.  
  
"Okay," agreed the rest of the senshi.  
  
Once inside the Venus palace, no one asked any questions as they watched the senshi carry an unconscious Princess Serenity through the palace. The four senshi de-transformed and tried to wake Usagi. Minako picked up her phone and called the operator, then asked for Prince Demando from Nemesis.  
  
"Hello?" asked Demando.  
  
"Demando, it's Minako."  
  
"Hi Minako. Listen, the next time you call, don't call collect, okay?"  
  
"Okay, sorry. Listen, we were wondering…"  
  
"Who's we?"  
  
"Me, Ami, Rei, and Makoto. Anyway, we were wondering if you could have Usagi stay at your place since she doesn't want to go home and Mamoru is being horrible to her again."  
  
"Sure. I'll come get her. Is she okay?"  
  
"Unconscious, but fine, so Ami says."  
  
"Okay. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Minako turned to the scouts. "He's going to come get her."  
  
"Who's going to come and get me?" asked Usagi, sitting up.  
  
"We finally woke her up," breathed Ami.  
  
Usagi looked around. "Where's Mamoru?" she asked. "I have to go transform and kill him with my tiara," she said, grinning.  
  
"Nice to see that you didn't lose any brain cells in the process of being smacked against a wall," said Makoto.  
  
"Like she had any left to lose," muttered Rei.  
  
"I heard that," said Usagi.  
  
A servant knocked on the door. Minako answered it. "Prince Demando is here," she said. "He is in the tea room."  
  
"Okay. We'll be there soon, like in five minutes," answered Ami from across the room.  
  
The servant curtsied and left the room. Ami helped Serena off the bed and the five princesses went down to meet Demando for tea. 


	6. The War Rages, Taking a Terrible Toll

Chapter Five: The War Rages, taking a terrible toll  
  
Usagi entered the room with the four other princesses and immediately forgot about Mamoru. She ran to Demando and was swept up into his arms. The two shared a long kiss, until Rei began tapping her toe and saying, "Hello? We have a bigger problem here, Mamoru!"  
  
Ami turned on her computer and began typing away furiously. The other girls and Demando turned around once they heard Mamoru's voice coming from Ami's computer. Ami hooked her computer up to a projection screen and everyone saw what Ami saw, Mamoru holding a Military Meeting.  
  
"…Commander, you are to send a message to the Moon Kingdom Military that we will attack if the missing princess is not returned to me. Either way, we will attack at dawn, regardless if she is returned," he said, turning around and grinning. "See Serenity?" he muttered. "You're getting exactly what you asked for."  
  
The projector went blank and Usagi buried her head in Demando's shoulder. "Minako, I never should have let you talk me into this. I never should have taught you how to copy my handwriting identically so that you could forge a note and make it look like it was from me! You make me so mad!" she yelled, and then reburied her head. Demando put an arm around her and said, "Usagi, we'll get through this, somehow. You won't have to go back to Mamoru, if you don't want to, and believe me, I'm not going to let you."  
  
She raised her head to look at him, "Really?" she asked.  
  
"Of course. Usagi, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Demando," she said hugging him.  
  
"Demando, we need you to take Serenity to your palace on Nemesis. She shouldn't be here for the battle," said Makoto.  
  
"I will, but then I'm coming back to assist the Moon in their battle. They are allies with the rest of the Silver Millennium, except for the Earth, and I'm an enemy of the Earth, so it's only obvious that I'd get involved," he said, grinning.  
  
Usagi smiled and he whisked her off to Nemesis.  
  
"Okay, now for the bigger strategy. How to kick the Earth's little butt," said Makoto.  
  
Minako rushed into the room. "I just called Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru. They should be here soon."  
  
"Okay. Good. The more of us, the better," said Rei.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, Mamoru entered a space pod and blasted off toward the Negaverse. When he reached the Negaverse, the generals bowed to him, and escorted him to Beryl.  
  
"Queen Beryl, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Is that a new dress?" he asked.  
  
"Can the flattery, Endymion. Why are you here?"  
  
"I would like to join forces with the Negaverse to defeat the Moon Kingdom. Prince Demando of Nemesis has run off with Princess Serenity, who has been betrothed to me since her birth. I have threatened to attack if she isn't returned, but even if she is returned, I'm attacking. Things are not going as I had planned. That is why I would like to join forces with you, my queen."  
  
"Hmm. The Earth could be a valuable ally. Your request has been accepted. We will attack the Moon at dawn tomorrow."  
  
  
  
***  
  
"No, Demando! I'm going, and you're not stopping me. Crisis Make Up!"  
  
"Usagi, you're not going, regardless of whether you've transformed or not. You are staying here, under Esmeraude and Saffiru's care."  
  
"Demando, I'm coming, whether you like it or not. I'm a very independent person. Plus, I have this feeling that a force other than the Earth is going to attack."  
  
Demando disappeared and Usagi teleported after him. She appeared next to the Sailor Senshi, who were hiding in the forest near the palace, waiting for the Earth's attack.  
  
"You guys," Usagi hissed.  
  
"What?" asked Ami. "Usagi? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came back. I wanted to help. Plus, I know something. Mamoru enlisted the help of the Negaverse. They're attacking at dawn," she said, looking worriedly at the rising sun. The senshi heard an explosion coming from the other side of the moon.  
  
"I think that they're here early," muttered Haruka.  
  
"Okay, here's the deal. I'm the leader, so I say what goes. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, you three go investigate the explosion. Keep your communicators on in case it truly is the Negaverse."  
  
"Okay," said the three outers and they ran off toward the explosion.  
  
"Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, you three go station yourselves near the palace. Protect my mother and Luna and Artemis."  
  
"Okay," said the three senshi, and dashed toward the palace.  
  
"Now us," began Usagi. "Are going to go kick the Earth Kingdom's butt when they get here."  
  
"Usagi," said Ami. "I think that they are here." They looked over the horizon and saw Endymion standing next to Beryl with his army of Earth troops behind them. They watched him give the command to attack and as his soldiers mercilessly went from house to house in the villages and set fire to them.  
  
"Lets go," said Usagi quietly. "To destroy my kingdom to get to me is one thing, but to destroy it for pleasure is another.  
  
They ran to where the Earth soldiers were laughing and joking as they set flame to house after house.  
  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" cried Sailor Mercury, dousing the burning houses and torches with her water attack.  
  
"Ah, Sailor Scouts. Your presence here was expected," cackled Mamoru.  
  
"Oh really?" snapped Sailor Moon.  
  
"Who are you, blondie?" he snapped back.  
  
Usagi turned around and grinned at Ami and Minako. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice and the planet protector of the Moon."  
  
"Endymion," commanded Beryl, "Get rid of the three nosy Sailor Brats."  
  
"As you wish, my queen." Endymion gathered a blast of dark energy and shot it at Sailor Moon. She went flying back into Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus.  
  
Beryl stepped forward and looked down at Sailor Moon. "Hmm, what is this?" she asked evilly. She grabbed the henshin brooch from Usagi's Sailor Moon transformation and watched, as the transformation was undone. Sitting in Sailor Moon's place was Princess Serenity, a look of hatred on her face.  
  
"You're kidding?" gasped Endymion. "You can't be Sailor Moon."  
  
Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury looked at each other and stood up. They moved in front of the princess who stood up and said, "Silver Crystal, come to my hand." The silver crystal floated out of the brooch and into Usagi's hand. She calmly placed it on the crescent wand and held it up, shielding herself from Endymion's coming attack.  
  
"Venus Love Me Chain, Encircle!" yelled Sailor Venus, lashing out with her attack.  
  
Queen Serenity rushed out of the palace, ignoring the Sailor Senshi's warnings to her to stay inside the palace. She ran to where she saw the power of the Silver Crystal lighting up the sky. She saw her daughter losing the battle against Beryl and Endymion and watched in horror as Endymion and Beryl's combined attacks broke through the crystal's barrier and sent Usagi flying backwards only to crash into a broken down cement pillar and slump unconscious.  
  
Sailor Venus stepped forward and picked up the crescent wand, then turned around and saw Queen Serenity. She threw the wand to her and the queen caught it. Serenity took one last look at her military, with Demando leading them badly losing to the Earth Army. Half of the army lay on the ground, dead. Most of the other half was wounded, including Demando. She saw the Sailor Senshi on the ground, either unconscious or dead from the blows to their heads that they had taken. She looked down at the crescent moon wand and knew what she had to do. She held it up and summoned her power to entrap Beryl and the evil spirit of Endymion inside her crystal. She then looked around one more time at her shattered kingdom, her lifeless daughter and her friends and summoned her final strength to send Usagi and the rest of her friends to the future, including Endymion's soul and Demando, Usagi's one and only love.  
  
She sank down onto a fallen pillar and watched as her kingdom was transported to Earth, ready to begin a new life, a thousand years later. 


End file.
